


Cuddle Up

by yaaan93



Category: Free!
Genre: Christmas Eve, Christmas fic, Fluff, M/M, OOC, POV Alternating, Rin is just about done with his best friend, Sousuke awkwardly tries to woo Nitori, Wingman!Rin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-04 12:59:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5334995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yaaan93/pseuds/yaaan93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Sousuke wants for Christmas is Ai.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A present for you and for me.

Ai wasn’t quite sure how it ended up like this.

If you had asked him a few weeks ago how he’d be spending his Christmas Eve, he would’ve told you that spending it with Yamazaki Sousuke was definitely not something he had in mind.

It was because this was Sousuke he was talking about. Sousuke, who had cut all contact with his ex-teammates over half a year ago. Sousuke, whose whereabouts Rin supposedly knew nothing of. Sousuke, who had texted Ai out of the blue a few weeks prior, asking if he could crash in his apartment during the holidays.

And so here he was, just a day before Christmas, sharing dinner in the cramped confines of Ai’s home. The Christmas lights he had strewn around a few days ago shone brightly, bathing the room in a warm, dazzling spectrum of colours. The television was turned on, tuned into some evening variety show, and an impressive dinner for two, courtesy of Sousuke, was laid out nicely on the table.

It was almost romantic.

Flushing as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he quickly shook his head and stuffed a piece of chicken into his mouth, choking in the process.

“Something the matter, Ai?” asked Sousuke, quirking a brow at the other’s sudden reaction.

“I-it’s nothing,” Ai replied, waving his hand in dismissal as he tried to regain his breath. “My food just went down the wrong way.”

Sousuke nodded slowly, brows furrowed before turning back to the television.

Another thing that Ai hadn’t foreseen was how easy it was to fall into this day to day routine of living with Sousuke, despite the fact that the other had only been there for a few weeks. Before he knew it, Ai had gotten used to waking up to the sound of Sousuke shuffling around the room, getting ready for his morning run. He had also become accustomed to sharing meals with the other, as Sousuke had insisted on cooking for Ai as a form of repayment for letting him sleepover.

Soon enough, Ai began to find Sousuke’s presence quite comforting. Sure, they had gotten along alright back in Samezuka – even more so in the final months before Rin and Sousuke’s graduation, but Ai couldn’t help but feel that this was something different. It was as if they’d always been like this.

What wasn’t natural, however, was the way Sousuke was acting up that evening. The black-haired male was constantly getting up in the middle of his meal, phone in hand, before locking himself in Ai’s bathroom. 

At first, Ai wanted to respect his privacy. Sousuke was a guest and everyone had their own share of problems to deal with. Ai hadn’t even prodded too deeply about his absence these past few months, as he believed Sousuke would fess up to it whenever he felt he ready. But the more Sousuke left the table, the more concerned Ai became. Yes, Sousuke was his guest, but at the same time he was an old teammate, an old friend.

“Is everything alright, senpai?” Ai asked, not being able to help himself as he watched Sousuke get up and return from the washroom for the fifth time since starting dinner.

“Yeah,” Sousuke said, returning to his seat, “What makes you think otherwise?”

“It’s just…” Ai began, gesturing towards the other’s phone, “It seems like you’ve been pre-occupied. I mean, I know I may not be the best confidant… Rin-senpai is probably better at it than I am, but if there’s anything troubling you, you know you can always come to me, right?”

“Ai...” Sousuke murmured, eyes widening slightly before a small smile appeared on his face. “Everything’s fine, don’t worry.” 

The younger male could only nod as he watched Sousuke return to his meal, eyes glued to the TV once more. But after several minutes, the latter got up yet again, this time heading towards the large duffel bag he had brought with him. After rummaging through its contents, he pulled out what seemed to be a small package and made his way back to the table.

“This is, uh,” Sousuke began, tossing the package onto the countertop. “I got this for you. Merry Christmas, Ai.”

“Huh?” was all Ai could muster up as he glanced down at the package and back at Sousuke. “For me?”

Sousuke nodded.

“But I... don’t have anything to give you in return, senpai.” Ai frowned, staring at the gift once more. “I didn’t know we were going to be exchanging any gifts.”

“It’s alright,” Sousuke said, shaking his head. “You’ve given me more than enough Ai.”

“Sorry, what?” Ai asked, head snapping up to face Sousuke.

“I said you’ve given me enough.” the other responded, pausing shortly before clearing his throat, “I mean you let me crash at your place – you could’ve said no.”

“Yeah, but I can’t –” 

“Ai.” Sousuke said in authoritative tone, one that he hadn’t used on the younger male in quite a long time. “Just take the gift.”

“O-okay,” Ai squeaked, quickly grabbing the present. He turned it around in his hand, admiring the baby blue wrapping neatly tied together by a cream coloured ribbon.”It’s wrapped really nicely. Did you do this yourself, senpai?”

“No,” Sousuke snorted, “The, uh, store offered a gift-wrapping service so I had them wrap it for me.”

“I see.” giggled Ai, “It really is very nice. Can I open it now?”

“Yeah.”

Smiling, Ai carefully tugged at the ribbon. Setting it aside, he began to work his way around the gift, peeling off the tape and unravelling the wrapping until he revealed the leather bound journal that laid inside.

“I, uh, remembering you keeping a bunch of journals in your dorm room.” Sousuke said as he watched Ai run his hands over the cover. “I don’t know if you still write in them, but I figured you could always have another one handy.”

“Yeah, I still do!” Ai laughed as he closed the journal and hugged it close to his chest. “I’m surprised you remembered, senpai!”

“Of course I did.” Sousuke said, cracking a smile. “So does that mean you like it?” 

“I love it! Thank you so much!” Ai grinned, mind already running through a list of what he could use his new journal for. “Ah, but, I really do think I should give you something in return. Is there anything you want?”

“I already said you’ve given me a gift, Ai.”

“No, I insist, senpai!” Ai said, slamming one hand on the table. “Please, it’s only fair. Ask away!”

Sousuke frowned, keeping eye contact with Ai before sighing, “Fine, you’ll give me anything?”

“Yeah! I mean, as long as it’s within my means.”

The other male nodded slowly, tilting his head to the side before shrugging.

“Then, I want you Ai.”

“Huh?” Ai could only gape in response. They sat in silence for several moments, staring at each other before he spoke up. “H-haha! I-I’m sorry, senpai. I thought I heard you say –”

“You heard me right.”

“… Huh?! What’s that s— I don’t think I can…” Ai murmured, covering his face with his hands, lest it be obvious that he was flushing red from head to toe.

“I know, I kind of figured.” Sousuke chuckled. He got up from the opposite end of the table and made his way next to Ai. “So I have another request instead.”

“W-what is it?” Ai piped, looking at Sousuke between the cracks of his fingers.

“Visit the shrine with me on New Years?”

“Uh…”

“Please, Ai?” Sousuke asked, leaning closer towards him.

“I…” Ai murmured, shuffling back. His eyes darted around the room, willing himself to look anywhere but the pleading male in front of him.

Yet despite his efforts, it was becoming harder and harder to see anyone but him. What with his size, the increasingly earnest look in his eyes, and the way his presence was just about to engulf him –

Oh, what the hell.

Taking a deep breath, Ai sat up straight and clenched his fists against his knees and nodded.

“… okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MY FIRST FREE! FIC AND MY FIRST SOUTORI IDK. Hopefully I'll get around to editing this when I have more time but I just really wanted to post this before the 25th.
> 
> There's gonna be one more part to this story based around Sousuke's POV. That'll be a challenge in itself since I never do multichaptered fics. Hopefully I can get it out by 2016... which gives me just under 28 days to write it LOL.


	2. I'll be home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4k+ words! So without further ado...

The middle of December marked the beginning of the holiday season, wherein people got together for Christmas, only to ring in the New Year a few days later.

Tokyo, especially, was bustling with holiday cheer. From the change in department store décor to the Christmas Market in Roppongi Hills, the city was highly anticipating the end of the month. But the most striking event of all was the Christmas illuminations that lit up the streets of the city in a brilliant display of lights.

It was Sousuke’s first time lingering around the vicinicty of the spectacle. The man had no intentions of going at first, but since he was in the area on some business, he decided to check it out.

This was how he found himself standing in a field of white LED lights, the flashing of neon-lit decorations dancing across his vision as he took in the scene before him.

Off in the distance stood a gigantic Christmas tree decorated with lights that changed colour every few seconds. Fairy lights were wrapped daintily around the branches of trees and over other structures found in the area.

Enjoying the festivities of it all were none other than couples who constantly rushed past him, wanting to pictures of themselves in front of the displays.

In a normal situation, Sousuke would have thought nothing of it. Christmas in Japan, after all, was a holiday meant for couples; for expressing love for one another through celebration, gift-giving, and spending a date viewing the illuminations.

Now, however, the scene before him caused something to stir within his chest, bringing to the fore feelings he had tried so hard to quell for the past few months. Unfortunately for Sousuke, however, the presence of couples versus his current situation only conjured up a single thought:

He wished Ai were here to share the moment with him.

But why?

A few months ago, Ai was merely a teammate and an underclassman – albeit an important one. When he first met the younger male, he knew that he was someone Rin had respected, but he didn’t know _why_. Compared to the rest of the team, he was not up to competitive standards. He wasn’t as swift or agile as his fellow team members, and this clearly showed when his race times were soon surpassed by the first years.

But Ai wasn’t one to be dealt with lightly, as Sousuke had soon come to realize. After all -- having learned from the encounter at the staircase that evening --  anyone who aspired to swim by Rin’s side had to put in one hell of an effort. The encounter, which soon turned into late-night training sessions, had taught Sousuke that Ai had really worked ridiculously hard in what he did and always gave his all. Sousuke respected him even more, and he thus made an effort to know him more as a person.

Then came graduation, and it was time for Rin and Sousuke to part ways with the rest of the team. Rin had pursued his dream and gone off to Australia, while Sousuke held off on furthering his education and returned to Tokyo in order to help out with the family business.

The flight from Tokyo to Tottori wasn’t that long, so Sousuke would visit Samezuka every now and then to check up on the others and see how their new teammates were doing. If he any had doubts before, they would have all been cleared when he saw how Ai shone as the new captain of Samezuka’s swim team. While Ai was not exactly the strongest member of the team, he knew how to manage them, and all the members seemed quite charmed by their captain and eager to please him.

And as fate had it, somewhere along the way, Sousuke had become equally charmed as well.

Time had passed as Ai and the rest of the third years graduated as well. Ai and some of the other teammates had relocated to Tokyo for their studies, closing the distance between them and Sousuke. Having slightly more free time now that they were out of school, the team would often meet up, always making sure to invite the older male along in the process.

It was in these circumstances that Sousuke grew to know Ai even more. From the courses he loved to the courses that he hated, the way he tried to maintain a positive attitude during exam season (the dark rings under his eyes told Sousuke otherwise), to his favourite foods and hobbies.  

More than anything, Ai’s presence soothed him. There were times when the stress of life and his (lack of) future aspirations took its toll on him, and Sousuke could always count on his meet-ups with Ai to calm him down. He would confide in Ai, and the younger male would always reassure him in a way only he could. The camaraderie that formed between grew stronger than it ever was back in high school.

At some point, however, Sousuke’s own feelings of friendship grew into something more intense. He couldn’t even interact with Ai without averting his eyes during their conversations or fumbling with his words. This had always earned him a very concerned look from his underclassman, but Sousuke had reassured him that he was alright.

After a month of awkward situations had passed, Sousuke decided that he had enough. He knew he was coming off as some sort of fool not only to Ai, but the rest of the team as well. Examples could be seen when he accidentally knocked Ai’s drink off the table that one time when their hands accidentally brushed against each other, or when he made it through an entire week without looking directly at Ai while talking to him.

He had to put a stop to this behaviour, for the sake of his own pride and to make sure Ai’s opinion of him as the cool, reliable upperclassman remained unchanged.

Some advice was needed first on how to proceed, and he knew just the person to ask.

* * *

 

“I’m sorry, _what_ did you just say?! _”_ Rin exclaimed from the other side of the Skype conversation.

It was a Saturday night, and Sousuke decided to confide in Rin regarding his romantic woes. The time difference between Australia and Japan wasn’t that great, and it made coordinating weekly Skype sessions a lot easier.

“I asked if you’ve ever been in love.” Sousuke sighed, rubbing at the bridge of his nose.

“I—I don’t know… _no,_ I guess?” Rin murmured, furrowing his brows as he leaned closer towards the screen. “Why, are _you_?”

“… Yeah. I think so.”

“You _think_?” Rin cried in disbelief before holding up a finger. “Okay, hold up. First of all, who is it? Do I know them?”

Sousuke frowned. Was he ready to tell him? What would he think? Rin was always closer to Ai than he was. What if he--

“Well?” Rin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s…” Sousuke paused, mulling over his thoughts a bit before sighing, “It’s Ai.”

“… Ai? Like _our_ Ai?!”

“He’s not yours,” Sousuke glared, “Or mine for that matter. But yeah,  Ai.”

“Okay, sorry, man.” Rin laughed, “But… since when?”

“Uh, it’s been a few months already?” Sousuke shrugged, “Two to three, maybe? I don’t know.”

“Alright, cool. So what’s the plan, Mr.Yamazaki? You gonna tell him or what?”

“No, I don’t think I am.”

“What?! Why not?”

“I keep messing up in front of him, man.” Sousuke said, wincing at the memories Rin’s question had recalled. He had tried to come across as aloof but only ended up acting like a fool.

“Well, just do your best to stay focused. Try to act how you’ve always acted around him.”

  
“That’s easier said than done, Rin…”

“Just give it a shot! Do you want me to talk to Ai about this or—“

“No!” Sousuke shouted, perhaps a bit louder than necessary as he could see Rin jolting back against the chair he was sitting on. “I mean, I’ve got it covered. Thanks though.”

But Sousuke didn’t have it covered. It seemed that the more conscious he was of how he was acting in front of poor Ai, the more awkward his actions were. He really wanted to return to how it was before – when he could simply talk to Ai and enjoy his company without any strange feelings threatening to burst out of his chest.

Rin told him to keep calm and act like himself,  but for Sousuke, there was only one other option…

* * *

 

“So, Ai has been messaging me and it turns out he’s deeply concerned about you. He wants to know where you’ve been lately and why no one can get in contact with you. Care to explain?” Rin asked,  staring at Sousuke in an unimpressed manner, arms crossed.

“Oh, uh,” Sousuke began, averting his eyes from the screen before giving a light shrug, “Yeah, I guess it’s been a while since I’ve seen them? I’ve, uh, kind of been avoiding them.”

“Sousuke,” Rin groaned, slapping his palms to his face and dragging them downwards.“Why, Sousuke. _Why_.”

“Because he’ll find out. Ai will know, Rin. He’ll _know_.”

“And so what? Just tell him, man. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“He’ll freak out and start avoiding me.”

“You mean exactly like you’re doing now?”

His best friend did have a point, but as far as Sousuke was concerned, Rin had never been in Sousuke’s position. So obviously, who was he to judge?

“Look, it’s not like I’m only avoiding _him_. I haven’t talked to the other guys either. Everyone’ll just think that good ol’ Yamazaki Sousuke has too much on his plate to simply hang out with his friends.” he explained.

“Trust me,” Rin said, shaking his head. “I’ve known Ai longer than you and he won’t do that. The worst he can do is turn you down, but he’ll try to patch things up with you. He’s a nice guy like that.”

“I rather not think of Ai not wanting me at all.” Sousuke muttered, pausing for a bit. “You know what, I think I’m gonna lay low for just a little bit more.”

“Dude, what happened to that stubborn-ass dude I’ve grown up with all these years?”

“Come on, Rin.”

“Okay,” the other conceded, holding his hands up in defeat. “I’m not gonna stop you if that’s what you wanna do. You’re lucky I’m not in the country so it’s ten times easier to lie on your behalf but… don’t do this for long, okay?”

“Yeah, got it.”

* * *

 

The wasn’t the case, however. One month soon turned into two, which eventually turned into half a year.

Half a year later, and Sousuke had never felt so ridiculous. What exactly was he doing?

Sure, his feelings had calmed a bit. Whether it was due to his technique working or simply the fact that the lack of Nitori Aiichirou in his life allowed him to retain peace in mind, he didn’t know. What he did know was that he couldn’t keep this up much longer. No doubt, the Sousuke before joining Samezuka would have ideally gone on with his life. But now, he didn’t wanna be the guy who cut all contact with his friends just because he couldn’t keep his feelings in check.

So here he was, just a few weeks shy of Christmas, viewing the illuminations all by his lonesome.

Great.

He heard a giggle off to the side and was about to glance over when he was nearly shoved aside by a couple who were making a mad dash to the tree in the distance.

Sighing, Sousuke decided it was time to head home.

* * *

 

“What do you want.” Rin drawled, voice sounding muffled from the other end of the call.

“Sorry,” Sousuke frowned, re-adjusting the phone against his ear. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Kinda,” Rin yawned, “I just back from practice a while ago and was taking a nap.”

“Oh, sorry about that.”

“It’s okay,” Rin sighed. “Anyway, what’s up.”

“It’s Ai.”

“Ai?” Rin asked, sounding more awake. “What about him? Did you start talking again?”

“Actually that’s what I wanted to talk to you about… would he find it weird if I just messaged him out of the blue?”

“Well,” Rin paused. “Honestly, yeah. Not gonna lie, I didn’t know you had it in you to worry about–”

“Rin.”

“Sorry, man, but it’s true. But what can you do? The longer you drag this on, the more awkward your initial contact will be. Just get it over with.”

“But how?”

“I don’t know. What would you do if you didn’t care for Ai in that way? You’d just message him right? Let’s see… how do you normally ask people to hang out. ‘Hey, you free Friday night?’ Actually, no, don’t do that.”

“Then _what_ , Rin? Wanting to know what the hell I’ve been up to will be at the back of Ai’s mind the whole time.”

“Look, you know he and the rest of the team are already thinking that regardless. So just come up with an excuse to see him – he respects you; I haven’t seen you guys interact lately but I know that much. Ai’s a sweet guy; he won’t turn down your suggestion to hang out.”

“Fine, I’ll think of something. I hope you’re right.”

“Okay then, but you better have some good news for me by the end of the week or you can forget ever seeking love counselling from me ever again.”

“But you love this stuff.”

“Shut the—okay, _bye_ Sousuke. Good luck.”

* * *

 

Thus, after one very sleepless night, Sousuke thought “to hell with it” and thought up the most baseless lie he could think of.

 

From: Me

Hey, Ai. You awake?

 

Seeing as it was 2AM in the morning, Sousuke figured he could simply send the text, chuck his phone to the side, and hopefully wake up refreshed and ready to deal with it. What he didn’t count on, however, was Ai responding a mere minute later.

 

From: Nitori Aiichirou

Senpai! It’s been a while! I was actually about to head to bed but I guess it can wait. What’s up?

 

Just great. Sousuke seemed to have bothered him at the worst time. Was this Ai’s passive-aggressive way of saying ‘Who the hell are you to disturb me in the middle of the night. Please get the hint and back off.’ Nonetheless, Sousuke persisted.

 

From: Nitori Aiichirou

Sorry to turn up out of the blue. Some stuff came up and I’ve been too caught up with problems with the business to keep in contact with you guys.

 

Sousuke had hit send, and was in the middle of typing out the next part when Ai sent his.

 

From: Nitori Aiichirou

Oh no!!! (ó﹏ò｡) Is everything okay???

 

From: Me

Yeah, it’s all good now… but I needed to ask you for a favour. We’re closing our shop early for the New Year and all our relatives from Akita are coming over to visit. To make room for them I was basically told to leave the house till they were gone.

 

At this point, Sousuke wasn’t really sure what he was doing. He had no relatives in Akita, but as long as Ai had no fact checking technology at this disposal, he was going to run with this lie.

 

From: Nitori Aiichirou

Huh??? Isn’t the point to spend time with your family?

 

From: Me

Yeah, honestly you can tell my parents felt bad about it all. But they haven’t seen them and so long and I guess they wanna provide them with the most comfortable experience possible. I honestly could care less though since I’ve only seen them about once or twice in my life.

 

From: Nitori Aiichirou

Aww, so what are you going to do?

 

From: Me

That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Would you mind if I crash at your place for the time being? I could stay with my other friends but I figured it’d be a good opportunity to catch up with everyone else.

 

From: Nitori Aiichirou

No! That’s totally fine. I’m on break from the 17th to January 6th.  I only have one bed though, so if you don’t mind sleeping on the spare futon you can stay as long as you like! Oh, but I’m also gonna visit home for a day or two so you can have the place all to yourself if you’d like!!!

 

From: Nitori Aiichirou

Okay, that sounds great. Thanks, Ai. And sorry for bothering you so late. G’night.

 

From: Me

Good night, senpai! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

 

* * *

 

It had all gone by so fast. One minute he was laying wide awake in bed, having just successfully lied to Ai and trying to inch his way back to normalcy. Now, he was sitting in front of the guy on Christmas Eve, eating dinner as if the past six months had never happened.

The past few weeks or so had passed by in a blur. He and Ai eventually arranged to meet at a station near the latter’s apartment, but Sousuke obviously had to get himself lost. Ai managed to find him and led him to his home. The younger male lived in a tiny one bedroom apartment with a small kitchen and living room. And while it was cluttered (Ai hadn’t changed much in that sense), it looked very cozy and well lived in.

From the moment Sousuke stepped into the house, he heeded the advice Rin gave him a few days prior: “ _There are two types of house guests – the ones that help out around the house, and the ones that don’t. Don’t be the latter, don’t be lazy, and don’t make him regret ever letting you step foot into his apartment. Be helpful, be the ideal man you want him to think you are.”_

Sousuke did just that, from the cooking to the cleaning. When Ai told him he didn’t have to, he insisted that it was a form of rent he was paying in return for letting Sousuke stay with him. He even helped Ai make his place a bit more festive; stringing silver garland about the apartment and setting up a tiny Christmas tree next to the balcony doors,  all lit up with warm golden lights. Sousuke was honestly not one to waste his time decorating for one day of the year, but the look on Ai’s face when he volunteered to help out made it well worth it.

The man had also decided to face his feelings head on. He might have been coming on a bit too strong – what with the housekeeping and all, but if he we were to get into Ai’s good books, this was what he had to do.

He wasn’t a romantic or anything, but from the books he had read for class and the movies Rin had dragged him to see, he knew how to set the mood. First, Sousuke would prepare the best home cooked meal Ai had ever had. Then, he’d dim the lights just so, and the two of them would spend the evening together enjoying good food, entertainment, and each other’s company.

And lastly was the gift. He knew Ai loved recording his observations down in writing, and would love it if he could give him a gift he could actually use. It would be perfect. The only problem would be how to hand it over.

As usual, Sousuke had to make one last call before he proceeded on his mission.

* * *

 

“Okay, I can’t hear you at all, Sousuke. Speak louder.” said Rin.

“I can’t.” whispered Sousuke into the receiver. “Ai will hear me.”

“Wait, where are you?”

“The bathroom.”

“Uh, okay. Is this a bad time or--”

“ _No,_ ” Sousuke grunted. “I need your help.”

“Oh god, not again.”

“This is serious, Rin. I need your help _now_.” pleaded Sousuke.

“Okay, okay. Fine.” Rin sighed.

“Thank you.” Sousuke said appreciatively. “I’ll be quick – how do I give him the gift?”

“Are you serious?” Rin cried out in pure exasperation. “Okay, whatever. Listen up. You just gotta be real smooth about it; casually hand it over to him. Don’t fumble or make it weird, just give it to him. Like a friend to another friend.”

“A friend to another friend?”

“Look, you obviously don’t see him as another friend but if you just give him the gift under that kind of pretense then it should go smoothly. Whether you wanna confess or something after that is up to you but let’s just get that gift to Ai, okay?”

“… alright. Seems easy enough. Thanks, Rin.”

* * *

 

“Rin,”

“Sousuke, _please_ , I have a life too you know…”

“Yeah, sorry. Dinner’s on me the next time you get back to Japan. But I need to know – what if he doesn’t like the gift?”

“It’s a stellar idea, Sousuke. He’ll love it, trust me.”

* * *

 

“What.”

“You think I can do it?”

“FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SOUSUKE. Yes! Just trust me on this, man!”

“I’m sorry,” Sousuke laughed before nodding to himself. “Okay, I’m gonna go cause I’m sure the amount of trips I’ve been making to the bathroom is concerning him.

* * *

 

The sight of Ai’s fretful face greeted Sousuke upon his return back to the table.

“Is everything alright, Senpai?” Ai asked, lips drawn into a frown with concern evident in his voice.

“Everything’s fine, don’t worry.” He assured him.

Indeed, everything was fine on the surface. What was _not_ fine was the inner chaos going on in Sousuke’s mind, body, and soul. Ai was _concerned_ about him, wanted Sousuke to confide in him. Sousuke could literally feel his heart threatening to break through his rib cage and rip right out of his chest. Ai’s consideration just made him so. damn. happy.

He knew he couldn’t convince Ai that everything was fine, but was thankful when the latter decided to drop the subject.

They continued on with their meal, occasionally remarking on whatever was airing on TV. Once Ai was distracted by the variety show they were currently tuned into, Sousuke decided that it was time to proceed with the next phase of his plan. He got up and headed towards his bag. Rummaging through the things he had packed with him, he picked up a light blue box, quickly examining it for any scuffs or tears. Satisfied, he cast a quick glance at Ai. He noticed the grey-haired male staring at him before looking away immediately once they made eye contact. Sousuke could only smile as he headed back to the table.

“I got this for you. Merry Christmas, Ai.” he said, tossing the gift onto the table.

Ai looked up at him, a puzzled expression on his face. At first, he had refused to accept the gift, but after much coaxing, Sousuke had convinced him to open up his present. The look that graced Ai’s face as he took in the gift, Sousuke observed, made all this trouble worth it. Ai’s blue eyes _sparkled_ , accented by the twinkling of the Christmas lights around them. The happiest smile spread across his lips, and Sousuke could not help but stare in a slight daze before he urged himself to speak up.

“I, uh, remembering you keeping a bunch of journals in your dorm room. I don’t know if you still write in them, but I figured you could always have another one handy.”

“Yeah, I still do!” Ai responded, holding the journal close to his chest. “I’m surprised you remembered, senpai!”

This pleased Sousuke, because if _that_ small gesture was any indication as to how Ai felt about the gift, then maybe he could use it to his advantage. Perhaps he’d even think of Sousuke every time he used it.

Ai loved the gift, so when Sousuke was asked what he wanted in return, he already felt like he had gotten everything he could’ve possibly asked for this Christmas. Everything except for –

“Then, I want you Ai.”

Sousuke could’ve sworn he experienced enough stress for a lifetime in the moment of silence that followed his suggestion. Unlike the previous expression he wore, Ai now looked terribly confused, slightly scrutinizing Sousuke before he could stammer out a response.

“H-haha! I-I’m sorry, senpai. I thought I heard you say –”

“You heard me right.” Sousuke interjected. Oh no, he had not come this far for Ai to find it all a _misunderstanding_.

And given the reaction that soon followed, from the vibrant red blush that spread across Ai’s cheeks, to the way he quietly whimpered as he covered his face and peaked out at Sousuke, he knew his message had gotten through.

All he wanted to do right now was to gently pry Ai’s hands from his face and kiss him senseless, starting from his forehead, to that lovely little mole at the corner of his right eye, and finally his lips.

In the end, the taller man opted to simply move next to Ai, regaining his confidence to make an alternative proposal instead.

“Visit the shrine with me on New Years?”

“Uh…”

“Please, Ai?” Sousuke asked. He inched closer to the other and pulled a sad, pleading expression – or at least that’s what he hoped it looked like since his friends had always told him otherwise.

“I…” Ai paused, biting his lip and staring at the ground before looking back at Sousuke, “Okay.” he responded, smiling shyly and blush still prominent on his face.

“Really?” Sousuke asked, blinking at him.

 “Yes!” Ai mustered out in response, looking confused. “Isn’t that what you wanted, senpai?”

“Yeah, but…” Sousuke sighed before slamming his head against the table.

“Sousuke-senpai?” Ai asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s nothing,” Sousuke murmured as he turned his head, cheek resting against the counter.

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

“Yeah,” Sousuke frowned before confirming once more, “So, New Years. That’s a yes?”

“Yes!” Ai laughed, lightly hitting Sousuke’s good shoulder. “That’s the third time now, senpai!”

“Right,” Sousuke nodded thoughtfully before reaching out for one of Ai’s hands. “I’ll do my best so look forward to it.”

“I, uh, sure?” Ai asked, quirking his head to the side.

Perhaps Sousuke had a bit more to go before he could get Ai to fall for him, but the latter had said yes, and that was good enough for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW I SAID I'D GET THIS CHAPTER OUT BY THE END OF 2015 BUT... life got in the way. I also wasn't planning on posting this till I was fully satisfied with the product but Nitori's birthday is today so I decided to just post it. I'll probably go back later to make some changes. 
> 
> I apologize for all the dialogue in this. I was having a hard time with every single convo between Rin and Sousuke but I needed to drive the plot... I wanted to add something in between but descriptive language is something I still really need to work on.
> 
> If I ever write Souai again in the future, I hope to make them more in character with a plot that flows more nicely.

**Author's Note:**

> The song title and chapter names are based off the songs from Spotify's Christmas Pop Playlist aka my go-to music for this fic.


End file.
